Romance of the Runes
by Shinobi Demoness
Summary: Hey, this is a fic. Luc, Sarah, Jimba, Yun, and Lulu are all alive. This will be explained in later chapters through flashbacks. Chapter 6, the edited version, is finally up. Note: CURRENTLY ON HIATUS UNTIL SAID OTHERWISE! Sorry.
1. Second edited prologue

Disclaimer:  
  
SD:walks in I don't own Suikoden. walks out  
  
"speaking"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
telepathic messages  
  
Romance of the Runes Prologue  
  
The young man slowly walked down the castle corridor. 'They don't understand why...no one understands why I did it...' His greenish-grey eyes were partially covered by brown hair with an odd, greenish tint to it. 'I'm not completely sure why I went through with it...' He chuckled to himself. 'And yet...' His eyes had a distant look. 'And yet...they welcomed me with open arms. I don't get it. I just don't get it.' He smiled to himself. 'I nearly destoryed an entire continent and started a war that shed innocent blood. But...I don't regret it. It was going to be worth it. I'd help the world by destroying my curse...the True Wind Rune, and myself in the process. So...why? Why spare me? Why show me mercy? I don't get it, because I didn't show them mercy...I have mixed feelings...if only I could just...disappear.' Then he did something he never thought he would do...a tear slid down his face, and he cried. 'Why? WHY?! Don't they get it?! I'm dead on the inside!' At this, he fell to his knees, tears streaming his pale face, clutching his head in both hands. "Please...just tell me the answer..." Little did he know, but someone in the shadows was watching his unusual outburst of emotion...  
  
Short, but it's only a prologue. I'm going to put romance in the later chapters. Tell me about any specific couples you want to see, and I'll try to fit them in. But, remember: First come, first servered. If no one reviews, I'll have to make up couples. So, R&R. I'm open to opinions. Once again, sorry about the shortness. By the way...just so you know, my Flame Champion is going to be Hugo.  
  
PS:The first edit didn't fix it, so I'm hoping this one will, and Naj, the reasons he chuckles then cries are as follows: A)He laughed at the irony of what happened, then he cried because he was pretty much screwed over. B)I'm a pretty sadistic person. ; 


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Suikoden. If I did, then I wouldn't be killing time writing fanfics.  
  
"speaking"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
telepathic messages  
  
flashback  
  
Chapter 2: The Mysterious Shadow  
  
The shadow rolled it's blood-red eyes in disgust. 'That's pathetic. Crying like that, I would have expected better behavior from him.' Blond hair tied back in a braid swayed slowly as he started to turn around. 'Why am I here again? I should be causing chaos and pain...'  
  
earlier that day...  
  
A young man with maroon hair that reached his shoulders retained a scowl as he talked to the demon before him. "Yuber, Sarah is really worried a bout Luc." The demon, Yuber, who seemed to have no interest in the subject responded lazily, "So what? I don't really care." The young man glared angrily as he continued, "Let me finish! I want you to follow Luc around and see what's wrong with him. Got it?" Yuber laughed. "What's so funny?! This is serious." The youth snapped. "I don't really care! Look, what are you going to do if I say no? Well, c'mon Silverberg! Answer me." "Show some respect Yuber. My name is Albert. I don't appreciate you referring to me by my last name wherever we go." "Once again, I don't care. Just answer my question." Albert smirked. " Let's just put it this way...if you say no, I say no." "So what? Like I care if you say no." "Let me finish," Albert said in an annoyed tone, "...and by 'saying' no, I mean, shouting it loud enough for the entire castle to hear and come running to see what's wrong." Yuber paled. "You wouldn't." Albert smirked in triumph. "I would. You and I both know that." Yuber growled, Albert had got him there. "Looks like I don't have a choice...but you have no idea how much I hate you right now." Albert walked up and gave Yuber a kiss on the cheek. "I love you too."   
  
end flashback  
  
'Well, I'm not sure what's wrong with him, but I'm sure that Silverberg will be interested with what I've just seen...I'll go tell him.' Yuber disappeared in the shadows while trying to think of a way to describe what he thought was wrong with Luc.  
  
There! What do you guys think? Thanks to Pengu for pointing out my mistakes. The problem with the format for chapter 1 should be fixed now. And,Lily (Lena) Evans, there was a little bit of Alber/Yuber. Sorry that it's not very good.  
  
All those plot holes will be explained gradually through the use of...FLASHBACKS!!! lightning flashes in the   
  
background And, Dark Fusion, I'll work on some Thomas/Cecil in later chapters. Oops...almost forgot. Pengu, I'm all  
  
for using my own couples, but I listed the reasons I didn't. They are as follows...  
  
1) I'm not that far into the game, so I don't know alot of the characters.  
  
2) I'm not good at thinking of couples.  
  
3) It encourages people to review!   
  
R&R you guys! 


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: God I hate this part...I...do...not...own...c'mon...I can do it...Suikoden...under her breathyet.  
  
"speaking" 'thoughts' telepathic messages flashback (POV switch)  
  
Chapter 2  
  
(Sarah's POV)  
The youthful blonde woman paced back and forth as though she were waiting for something with a worried look on her face. "Ooooh....I hope Master Luc is alright...I sure hope that Albert didn't just go and get Yuber to check on him. He might have attacked Master Luc!" With this in mind, she just paced faster. "That would be just like him! Sending that demon to spy on MY Master Luc!!!" She put a hand over her mouth quickly. "Oh dear...I hope no one heard that." When she thought of what she just said, her face flushed crimson. "I really shouldn't be so worried..."  
"Honestly, you shouldn't be talking to yourself like that." The girl's already red face darkened. She turned to the door and saw Yuber, smirking in the doorway and Albert looking as though he was about to tell Yuber off. Yuber's smirk only grew when he saw the girl's humiliation. "Y'know, they say that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity. But, to tell you the truth, I thought you were insane ever since I met you." The demon was pushing her buttons, just begging for a response, preferably, a violent one.  
"Yuber, leave her alone. She's worried." Albert sighed as he remembered that the only time Yuber listened was when he blackmailed him...which he had to do frequently. Albert turned to the girl. "Ignore him Sarah, he just doesn't comprehend what you're going through." Yuber seemed angry that Albert was ignoring him at the moment and began to sulk.  
"Is Master Luc okay? Is everything alright? Is he sick? Will he be okay? Answer me!" Sarah screamed. Yuber and Albert both cringed. Sarah was usually quiet, but when she was loud...she was really loud.  
"No, I brutally slaughtered him and dumped his bloody, mangled corpse in the lake." Yuber grinned maliciously as he lied through his teeth. "And I enjoyed it too." Albert looked like he was about to throw a rock at Yuber for his lack of tact and consideration. Sarah on the other hand, looked devestated.  
"YOU KILLED HIM?!" She screeched. "YOU COLD, EMOTIONLESS BASTARD!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!" She looked as though she was going to have a heart attack. Yuber stared in amazement, he didnt' think she'd take it seriously.  
"Calm down Sarah! He was being sarcastic." Albert stated recovering from Sarah's ear-shattering outburst.  
"I can't believe that you thought I was telling the truth..."  
"Oh dear..." Sarah's face turned red from embarassment again. "I'm sorry, I'm just so worried. I'll let you finish." She sat down on her bed slowly.  
"What is it with mages and emotional outbursts?" Yuber muttered under his breath. "They're always so unemotional. Do they spontaniously do this?" Albert ignored the comment as he went over to Sarah.  
"Yuber spyed on Luc for you. Do you want to know what he found?" Albert inquired. Sarah nodded while keeping her face down. Albert proceeded to tell her what Yuber saw.  
  
(Thomas' POV)  
  
'Oh dear...' The young lord of the castle looked about nervously. 'I swore I heard Sarah screaming at the top of her lungs...I must be hearing things. Maybe all this stress is getting to me.' The boy shook his head and sighed. 'Now...what was I doing...?' "Oh no! Cecile was looking for me! I better find her fast." He began sprinting down the hall, almost knocking down a young man with a resemblence to Albert. He had a sleepy, laid-back look about him. The hair of the man he just bumped into red hair was messy and spiky in some places.  
  
"Hey...Thomas, what's the rush? You almost sent me flying. Just like Nash when he started hitting on Chris and Borus saw him." the boy said with a sleepy smile that almost always seemed to be on his face.  
"Sorry Caesar...I'm supposed to meet Cecile..." Thomas began, but before he could finish, the cheeky strategist cut him off.  
"Oh, I see. You're going to meet the guard girl? I take it she's your girl friend?"  
"N-no! She's just...a friend." Thomas sputtered while blushing deeply. At this, Caesar began chuckling.  
"Whatever you say, loverboy. Don't let me keep you from seeing your one, true love." Thomas stared in amazement at how much Caeasar tuned him out.  
"Did you hear a word I just said?"  
"Huh?"  
"...Nevermind, I guess that answers my question."  
"Whatever...see you, I'm off to annoy the tin head knights." Caesar proclaimed with a cheerful smile.  
"Um...bye?" Thomas said unsure as Caeasar ran after Borus yelling something that sounded suspiciously like "Yo, rust magnet! Did you leave that armor out in the rain, or just throw it in the lake for a week or so?" followed by an angry yell and laughter which was then followed by a series of crashes. "That can't be good..." Thomas said, sweatdropping. 'Oh well, it'll just have to wait until I see what Cecile wanted.' He then ran outside and met the blonde guard.  
"Hello Lord Thomas!" Cecile greeted cheerfully. "Glad you could make it."  
"I would have been here earlier, but I ran into Caesar...literally."  
"No problem. I was just wondering..."  
"Yeah?"  
"Um...would you like to...go on a date with me?" Cecile looked at her feet.  
"S-sure." Thomas stuttered, though Cecile didn't seem to notice. 'Why am I so nervous around her?' Thomas thought, as Caesar's words came back to haunt him.  
"Great! We can go to the lake, and visit Iksay village, and do a bunch of other stuff! Let's meet at Mamie's Friday at 6:00pm!" Cecile squeled in delight, while jumping with joy.  
"O-o-okay."  
  
Chapter 2 is done and I made sure to make it longer, just for you guys. Okay, I'm working on Cecile/Thomas as you can see. I just HAD to put Caesar in. He's one of my favorite characters. I think some of the characters may be OOC, but I'm not sure. Sorry, but I just had to think of a way to include Borus and Nash. Even if it had to do with Nash sent flying because he was flirting and Borus being annoyed by my favorite strategist. ; Please don't hurt me Borus or Nash lovers. Dammit...you say Chris/Borus or Chris/Nash...personally, I'm a Chris/Hugo fan. Oh well, you're the fan and you shall get what you want! I may even make a love triangle...I'm so evil. Well, R&R and suggest more couples! Pretty please? 


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: ...What? You guys know that I don't own Suikoden by now, right?  
  
"speaking" 'thoughts' telepathic messages flashbacks (POV switch)  
  
Chapter 3  
  
(Chris' POV)  
'Oh dear...' The Silver Maiden, Chris watched as Caesar ran for his life with Borus attempting to run after him. Attpempting, because Percival and Leo were holding him back. Caesar seemed to enjoy the attention even though, it may have just ended up with a sword blade through his stomach.  
"YOU RUDE PUNK!!! YOU DARE INSULT ME?!" Borus wasn't called the Swordsman of Rage for nothing. Caesar knew that with the other knights holding Borus back, that he had nothing to fear...yet, so he continued to tease him.  
"Obviously, I do." Caesar had a smirk plastered on his face as he said this. That comment only made Borus struggle harder. As soon as this was over, Caesar would have to wait for the rage of Borus to be focused on someone else, he was hoping that Nash would try another flirting round with Chris, so that he would forget all about him before he could safely travel the corridors. Borus was attracting a crowd now. And, just as Caesar was hoping, Nash was part of the crowd. Worst comes to worst, Caesar could pull up a lie about Nash stalking Chris or something and he'd be off the hook.  
"I'LL WIPE THAT SMIRK RIGHT OFF YOUR FACE, YOU INCOMPETENT, GOOD FOR NOTHING STRATEGIST!!!!!!!!" Now, Caesar was used to being insulted back by people. But, he was one of the best strategists of all time, and NO ONE insulted his skills and got away with it.  
"GOOD FOR NOTHING STRATEGIST?! I PULLED YOUR SORRY ASS THROUGH THE WAR, AND THIS IS HOW YOU THANK ME?! NEXT TIME YOUR IN DIRE NEED OF A STRATESGIST, I'LL LEAD YOU INTO AN EARLY GRAVE YOU MORONIC IRON HEAD!!!" Caesar wasn't smirking any more. Instead, he had a scowl, and if glares could kill, Borus would be a dead knight.  
"IRON HEAD!?!?"  
"YEAH, IRON HEAD!!!!"  
"THAT'S WHAT THE GRASSLANDERS CALL US, NOT YOU!"  
"WELL, I ALWAYS LIKED THEM BETTER ANYWAYS! MAYBE I'LL JUST MOVE THERE, THAT WAY IF ANY ZEXEN IRON HEAD KNIGHTS ATTACK, I CAN HELP THEM DEFEAT YOU!" Caesar was a nice guy, honest, but when he was mad, he could be as scary as Borus sometimes. At this, Caesar walked to the audience, borrowed a dictionary that was in the care of Apple, and tossed it at Borus. The dictionary hit Borus right between the eyes, and knocked him out. Caesar's scowl quickly disappeared and was replaced with his usual smile as he walked off whistling a happy tune. When the dictionary hit Borus, Nash fell to the ground laughing. What? He was still angry about the time Borus threw him for flirting.  
"That was...wow." Leo said, awestruck. "Who knew that Caesar could be so scary? Or a dead shot for that matter?"  
"I sure as hell didn't," Percival said, while trying to get his friend Borus on his feet.  
"Is Borus going to be alright?" Chris questioned slowly.  
"He should be. He might have a head ache and a nasty bump when he comes to, but other then that, he should be just fine," thier strategist, Salome said simply.  
"It was foolish of him to get so angry. Caesar teases almost everyone. He should just get used to it, and ignore him," the elven archer, Roland said matter of factly.  
"You have a point...hey...does anyone know WHY Caesar teases almost everyone so much?" Leo asked. Everyone shook their heads but Apple, who had stayed to get the dictionary.  
"...What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Apple questioned nervously as the Six Mighty Zexen Knights, excluding Borus of course, stared at her.  
"You know why Caesar teases everyone?" Percival asked slowly.  
"Of course I do! I've known him for pretty much all his life!" Apple said in an exhausted tone.  
"Will you tell us?" Chris inquired hopefully.  
"No. If Caesar wants you to know, he'll tell you himself. And if you want to know so badly, go ask him yourself!" Apple hurried off after relaying this information.  
"Who would've thought...Caesar has a reason for messing with our minds..." Percival muttered in suprise.  
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Chris spoke slowly.  
  
(Caesar's POV)  
  
Caesar walked down the hall, with his usual smile on his face. However, his thoughts were far from cheerful. 'Stupid loser knight...who does he think he is? The only reason I tease them is for attention. I'm finally getting more attention then Albert, and he insults me! True...I did insult him first, but still.' Caesar walked over to Juan who was, suprisingly, awake. "Hey Juan."  
"...Hey Caesar. What's up?" Juan asked lazily.  
"Just sleepy. Mind if I take a nap here?"  
"Nah, I was thinking of skipping work and taking a nap myself. Something wrong?"  
"Nope. I just had a run in with Nash's greatest fear..."  
"His wife?"  
"Er...second greatest fear."  
"Oh, Borus?"  
"Yeah. He called me a good for nothing strategist! Can you believe that?!"  
"Good for nothing? Why would he say that? It's not true. Now, what did you do to him?"  
"Hehe...I erm...uh...kinda....sorta, threw a dictionary at him? It hit him right between the eyes and knocked him unconcious."  
"If you're lucky, that blow to the head either, knocked some sense into his head; gave him a coma, so he'll forget all about you when he wakes up; or gave him amnesia."  
"I doubt that I'll be that lucky."  
"Me too. I think you over reacted though."  
"Maybe, I don't usually do that."  
"No use dwelling on the past. Now...instead of worrying about hot headed knights, what do you say we get some sleep?"  
"I like the way you think."  
  
I guess it's kinda short compared to the last chapter...oh well. I'm not picking on characters or anything. It just seems like Borus would be the most likely to react like that. Hopefully, no one was OOC. Anywho...R&R please. And remember to suggest couples you want to see in future chapters! 


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer:Why do I keep putting this up? I don't own Suikoden. I thought lawyers would understand that by now...  
  
"speaking" 'thoughts' telepathic messages flashbacks (POV switch)  
  
Chapter 4  
  
(Nash's POV)  
  
'Ha! That served him right. Now that he's unconcious, I'll just charm the lovely Lady Chris.' Nash calmly walked over to the Silver Maiden. He flashed his flirting smile and quickly thought of some lines. "Lady Chris, how I pity the humiliation you must go through every day with that quick tempered Borus. Someone of your beauty and calibur, the manifestion of beauty itself, shouldn't have to deal with this." Percival shook his head, knowing that if Borus ever found out...  
"Pardon me?" Chris tilted her head bemusedly.  
"If I may be so bold, I would love to be graced with your presence as I take a walk out by the lake." Nash continued, unaware of Chris' confusion.  
"YOU SCOUNDREL!!!!!!" Everyone turned towards the now-concious Borus. He was up on his feet, and once again, being held back by Percival and Leo. "GET AWAY FROM LADY CHRIS, YOU'RE A MARRIED MAN!!!" At the sound of married, Nash cringed.  
"Don't remind me...hey! Aren't you supposed to be unconious or something?! Do us all a favor and knock yourself out again!" Nash didn't dare say that too close to Borus. 'Well, at least Sierra will never hear of this. I'm scared to think of what she'd do to me.' Thought Nash as he remembered his wife and how she reacted whenever he did the slightest bit of flirting. Borus' face began to redden from anger.  
"AS SOON AS I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!!!" At this, Nash once again flashed his trademark smile.  
"You mean IF you get your hands on me." Lady Chris just looked around confused.  
"I don't get it...what are they arguing about?" Lady Chris inquired, honestly having no idea why they were arguing. Salome gave her a look of amazement.  
"I'm sure you'll understand it soon enough..."  
  
(Hugo's POV)  
  
"Sounds like Borus and Nash are fighting again...I don't understand how Chris can be completely oblivious as to the reason. It's pretty obvious." Hugo muttered. Sgt. Joe shook his shoulders.  
"Well, you know those stupid iron heads."  
"Kueeee!"  
"I hope they don't trash the castle like they did last time." Hugo said. He sighed and shook his head. "Spirits save us from the destruction they cause over her..."  
"If they break another of those priceless statues, I think Thomas is going to have a heart attack." Added Sgt. Joe.  
"Kueeeeeeeee! Kueee!"  
"Too bad you can't speak in the human language, well, at least you can understand it. But if Borus and Nash are just starting to fight now, what was that noise earlier?" Hugo asked tilting his head.  
"I have no idea. Some little kid probably said hello to Mr. Swordsman of Rage in a cheerful tone, and our cynical iron head lost it." Sgt. Joe stated matter of factly. He and Hugo both began laughing at the thought of that.  
"That's not very nice Sgt." Hugo managed through chuckles.  
"He's a big boy, he should be able to take some constructive criticism. Besides, if he kills me, all the children in the castle who think I'm some walking talking toy,will make an angry mob. THEN, he'd be in some trouble." Hugo began to notice that there were some odd glances in their direction.  
"What are they staring at...?" Hugo began to whisper to himself as he turned around and began to stare just as the villagers were. "Oh spirits...not again." Nash was sprinting for his life with Borus dragging Percival and Leo was after him at a turtle's pace.  
  
"As...soon...as...I...catch...you...I'm...going...to...redefine...your...wor ld...as...living...pain.." Borus said in a strained voice.  
"You're a little late for that! My wife has it covered!" Nash yelled, still running. He wasn't taking any chances with that, as he puts it, psychopathic moron. Hugo got in front of Nash, who ran into him while looking at Borus. "Umph!"  
"Cut it out you two! Act your own age!!" Hugo started telling the two men off. "Honestly, I'm the youngest out of the three of us, but you couldn't tell by the way you two act! Thomas is going to kick both of you out if you brake something again!" Nash and Borus had both stopped running. The Sgt. was trying not to laugh at the two older men being chastised by you Hugo. Borus looked as though he had something to say, but he didn't say anything. Borus hung his head in shame.  
"He's right...we're acting like children. I'm sorry Nash." Everyone stared in disbelief at what they just saw. Borus hated Nash, and almost everyone knew it.  
"Uh...okay? I'm sorry too, I guess." Nash answered suspiciously. Percival and Leo let go of Borus. Then all of a sudden, Borus got an evil smile on his face.  
"You're so dead, scoundrel." Was all he said before he went running after Nash, who paled and bolted off. They were going to destroy the castle at this rate!  
"Borus! Come back here right now!" Percival yelled after the blonde knight while he and Leo began chasing Borus.  
"You're the Flame Champion, aren't you? Please do something before they hurt someone!" a nearby villager said to Hugo.  
"If only there was some way to get them to hate someone else...then that person could...run...away...I have an idea! Sgt., Fubar, wait here, no time to explain!" Hugo shouted excitedly, while running off into the castle. Once inside, he looked around desperately. He saw Salome and asked him to tell Chris to meet him at the town square. As soon as Salome went to relay the message, Hugo sprinted back to the fountain.  
"What are you planning?!" Sgt. Joe whispered, desperately not wanting to be left out.  
"Kuee?"  
"You'll see soon enough," Hugo said panting with a smile on his face. "Now, I need you to get Borus and Nash here in about 10 minutes. Okay?"  
"Uhh...sure."  
"Great!" Five minutes passed, and sure enough, Nash and Borus came running by. About the same time, Chris came out of the castle and walked over to Hugo. As soon as Nash and Borus saw her, they stopped their bickering and curiously went over to see what was going on.  
"Hugo, what is it?" Chris asked, she was still a bit confused about why Borus and Nash argued all the time.  
"Hey Chris. I was just wondering if you would like to go out with me for dinner by the lake later?" Hugo questioned, smiling sweetly.  
"Uhm...sure, about 7 tonight?"  
"That'd be perfect." And with that, Hugo kissed Chris on the cheek and walked off toward the outskirts. Both Borus and Nash stood in shock.  
"...How dare he kiss Lady Chris?! And I can't believe that he would ask her out on a date too!" Borus was seething.  
"I know what you mean! She's too good for him. I say we temperairly team up, and teach him a lesson!" Nash responded, somewhat calmly.  
"Agreed!" At this, they shook hands and ran off after Hugo, who was already on his way to Iksay.  
"I get it now!" The Sgt. yelled.  
"Well, could you kindly inform me, as I don't." Lady Chris muttered.  
  
There! I put a...would it be called a love square? Well, whatever it is, I put it there. thank you,Lily (Lena) Evans, that was a great idea! Well, sorry for Caesar OOCness in earlier chapters. I'll try to keep him in character. Anyways...R&R, and don't forget to put your favorite couples!  
  
P.S. Lily, I haven't met Yumi yet, so I'll do some research on her, and I'll do some on Dios (I've only seen him once) before I do the couple so I don't screw their personalities up. 


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer:I don't own Suikoden! .  
  
"speaking" 'thoughts' telepathic messages flashbacks (POV changes)  
  
Note:Sorry it took so long to update, I have school work.  
  
Chapter 5 (Percival's POV)  
"Not again! Borus, come back here!!!" Percival screamed while running after Borus and Nash, who were working together to go after poor Hugo. "Dammit Borus! I'm not joking, this isn't funny!!! Grab Nash and get back here!" The poor Swordsman of Gale had been chasing the two admirers of Lady Chris for 3 hours straight. 'Borus...I'm going to kill you! And Nash...and maybe Hugo as well. Hugo may have solved our Borus-trying-to-kill-Nash problem, but it's just made a Borus-and-Nash-working-together-to-kill-Hugo- followed-by-going-after-each-other problem!' Leo was far behind him, he had already had to stop 13 times to catch his breath, but Percival wasn't blaming him. Hugo's an inhumanly fast runner, and Borus and Nash seem to be extremely fast, though not as fast as Hugo, when prompted.  
"Slow.......down......you....g...uy...s...." Leo tried to yell through pants. Nash and Borus were out of sight.  
"Oh no...we've lost them."  
"Lost them?! Grrrrrr...Once those three come back, I'm going to kill them!"  
"Wait...they're heading towards Iksay. Oh no! They'd better not trash the village!" Percival just ran faster. 'I'm literally going to kill them if they mess up Iksay!!!'  
  
(Hugo's POV)  
  
Hugo was still sprinting as fast as when he had first started out. He was debating about going to Iksay.  
'If I go to Iksay, I risk Borus and Nash trashing the village...then I'll have more then just those two on my back...but if I keep running, I'm sure to collapse or something! I can't keep this pace up forever. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all...' Hugo sprinted even faster when he heard rapid footsteps. "I'm so tired...my legs are going to fall off at this rate! But, I can't stop now." Hugo ran and ran as fast as he could. He saw Iksay on the horizen. 'I really need to stop...but Iksay might be ruined by those two if I do! I better keep going.' Hugo ran past the village and was soon on the Yaza Plains. It was dark and there was a full moon. Hugo could barely keep his eyes opened. But, they were still chasing him, so he continued to run. All of a sudden, he tripped on a rock and fell on his face.  
"I'll....get....you...." Borus managed to say.  
"Almost....there...." Nash muttered. Hugo's vision was blurry as he looked up to see two men. And...he saw armor.  
'Oh no...well, I've lived a good life.' At this thought, everything went black.  
Hugo sat straight up. He realized he was in a bed in Budehuc castle.  
"How did I get back here...?" He said mostly to himself.  
"Leo and I dragged you to your griffin friend who carried you back. You're lucky that we got there right before Borus and Nash got you."  
"Huh?!" Hugo looked up in suprise. He saw Percival standing in the doorway smiling. He looked extremely sleepy. "Percival?"  
"Yeah...Good thing you didn't run into Iksay. They might have ruined the crops or hurt someone! But, you must have been so tired from running that you lost conciousness."  
"Oh...sorry." Hugo looked down embarassed that he had been so tired that he couldn't even stay awake while running.  
"Well, you've solved the problem where Borus has been trying to kill Nash. But, now we have a new problem. Both of them teaming up to get rid of you."  
"I...uhh....never thought that they would chase me that long. Oh! I told Chris I'd meet her, even though it was just to get those two to stop fighting, I still feel bad about not going."  
"Don't worry. I filled her in. She says she forgives you on one condition..."  
"What's the condition?" Hugo asked, tilting his head.  
"She wants you to take her out to dinner tonight to make up for it." At this, Hugo blushed. Percival smiled mischieviously and walked over to the bed. "Aww...that's so cute. You have a crush on her, don't you?"  
"I do not!!"  
"Come on...you're not good at hiding it. You're up there with Borus and Nash. You can't hide your feelings when it comes to Chris. See? You're blushing! In fact, you blush ALMOST as much as Borus does when he's around her! Almost." Hugo's face was bright red and getting redder as Percival spoke.  
"...Is it really that obvious? I never really thought about it until recently..." Hugo stated slowly.  
"Yep! Of course, most people don't notice. It's only obvious to those who look. Like, Caesar. He pays alot more attention to everyone then they give him credit for. Or, Albert, he pays attention to how people act too. Strategist stuff, I guess, but it could just be a Silverberg thing. And you're duck friend, Sgt. Joe might say something about it as well. Not to mention that griffin you hang around, Fubar was it? Well, Fubar understands human languages from what you've told us, so he probably hears alot of things that others don't. And there are alot more people who can see stuff like this."  
'Why can't I stop blushing? I really need to...this is embarassing! I never knew that I liked Chris this way!' Hugo got out of bed. "I'm going to go look for Fubar now." He left the room in a hurry.  
  
(Albert's POV)  
  
'Why must Yuber be so tactless? I'll have to talk to him later about watching what he says...' Albert mused silently as Sarah sat in shock.  
"It's my fault...I must have done something wrong. That must be why Master Luc is so upset." Sarah mumbled quietly to herself.  
"I highly doubt that. I think it's something else. You haven't done anything to upset him. In fact, I don't think you've ever done anything to make him anything but happy!" Albert tried comforting Sarah.  
"Yep, all your fault." Yuber agreed with the poor mage while having a smile on his face. This caused Sarah to start sobbing while saying how it was all her fault.  
"Could you excuse us for a moment?" Albert asked Sarah with a forced smile. She continued sobbing hysterically. 'I'll take that as a yes.' He grabbed Yuber by his arm and dragged him into a corner. "What's wrong with you?!"  
"What do you mean? I'm a demon of chaos! I'm born to cause pain and suffering!! It's not my fault that she's so easy to take advantage of at the moment!" Yuber hissed back.  
"Look, just be nice to her." Yuber cringed at the sound of nice. "Remember what I said."  
"You can't dangle that over my head forever, Silverberg." Yuber growled while looking down at Albert.  
"That's what you think, just try me." Albert narrowed his eyes up at the demon. Yuber sighed in surrender.  
"Fine, fine have it your way. I give." Albert gave a small smile.  
"Good. Now let's try to calm her down."  
"I know a way to get her to stop crying AND end her pain. It'd be fun for me, too..." Yuber muttered under his breath.  
"You say something?"  
"Me? Of course not." The two walked back over to Sarah who was, suprise, still sobbing and blaming herself for everything bad that happened to Luc.  
"Sarah...look, we'll find out what's wrong, okay? I'm positive that you weren't the cause." Sarah looked up slowly, her tears slowing a little as she looked at Albert.  
"Really?" She asked, sniffling. Albert elbowed Yuber in the side softly.  
"Huh? Oh, yeah sure, whatever." Yuber said unconvincingly. Sarah smiled and wiped her tears.  
"Okay! I'll help in any way you guys need. Master Luc needs our help!" Sarah perked up right away.  
"Albert, she's scaring me...and not in a good way." Yuber whispered quickly to Albert.  
"Just don't worry about it, okay? Once we get to the bottom of this, it'll all be over."  
"You sound like that detective brat..."  
"Shut up."  
"Hehe...hit a nerve, did I?"  
"Just...stop talking for now."  
"Whatever you say...detective."  
"Grrr." (Percival's POV)  
'Poor kid. I think I embarassed him a little too much. Oh well. I'll just go for a little walk before I finally get some sleep.' Percival smiled blissfully at the thought of sleep. So tranquil...and serene...and...  
"MOVE IT YOU GUYS!!! Hurry up you slackers! I'm not paying you to stand around, am I?!" Lilly, the daughter of the president of Tinto, shouted like a banshee, piercing Percivals train of thought, and he cringed.  
'Oh dear goddess no...don't let her spot me...please don't let her...'  
"Hi Percy!!!!!"  
'Dammit! Just turn around and walk away...'  
"Peeeerrrrccccyyyy!!!! Where are you going?! I order you to come over here right this instance!!!"  
"He doesn't work for you, lucky bastard, so he doesn't have to listen to you." Samus muttered irritably under his breath.  
"Did you say something?!" Samus winced at her voice.  
"No, milady, of course not."  
"Didn't think so."  
"What do you want Lilly?" Percival said slowly. 'I know I'm going to regret this, but if I don't play along, it'll be much worse.'  
"Well, I want you to take me to Iksay. I'd like to see it, and I heard that you're from there." She said, smiling ever so sweetly.  
"Okay, but tomorrow. I was up all last night chasing Borus and Nash, and I'm sleepy."  
"Thank you so much! You won't regret this, I promise!" Lilly grabbed Samus and Reed and began to run off.  
'She's sort of cute when she's not screaming...wait, did I just think that Lilly's cute? Uh-oh...it couldn't be...I can't have a crush on her! I guess that Cupid is staying here for vacation.' Percival sighed. 'I wonder if she likes me too. Maybe I'll ask her tomorrow.'  
"Percy, what's the matter?" Borus asked sneaking up behind him.  
"Whoa! Don't do that Borus!" Percival jumped about 2 feet in the air, with all that armor on suprisingly, at hearing Borus.  
"Now you know how I feel. You do that to me all the time. So, what's the matter."  
"If I tell you, will you swear on your honor as a knight not to tell anyone else?"  
"Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way."  
"Well...you see, I think I may just have a crush on...Lilly." Percival whispered into Borus' ears.  
"WHHHHHAAAATTTTT?!" Borus yelled at the top of his lungs, scaring and annoying everyone in the area.  
"Shhh! Remember, you promised." Percival said quietly, while putting a hand over Borus' mouth.  
"Mphfff mpf." Percival quickly took his hands off his best friend's mouth. "I was saying...I won't tell. But, I'm still in shock."  
"Thanks Borus! I'm going to get some sleep now. And I don't want you or Nash chasing Hugo, and don't chase Nash either!"  
"I would never do that!" Borus mock gasped in fake offense.  
"You've been hanging around me way too long."  
"So I've been told." (Luc's POV)  
'I can't believe that I cried...I hope that no one saw that. But, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. What's wrong with me? This has never happened before.' Luc sighed. 'I can't believe that I'm living here.'  
  
after the fight with Luc  
  
Everything was blurry. He couldn't see well and voices were all around him. He couldn't make any of them out, but they were coming from some shapes above him. 'No...I was so close...it can't end...' He was laying on the ground, his breaths were becoming shorter. 'If I die...then someone else will be cursed with my rune...I can't let this go on!' The blurry shapes abouve him, were distinguishable now. "I...can't....die....I....have....to.......b..re...ak....the....cycle..." He said almost silently.  
"Break the cycle? What cycle?" Asked a young man. He was tanned with turquise eyes, and his hair was blonde tipped with black. "I don't understand it."  
  
"Every....great....war....has....True....Runes....behind....it....I....wante d....to....stop...that...." Luc said. His breaths were shortening quickly.  
"You did this for the greater good?!" The youth said in suprise. "If that's the case, you deserve to live! Chris...could you heal him?"  
"Yes, but are you sure?" A young woman with silver hair and lavender eyes asked responded slowly.  
"Positive."  
"Okay...True Water Rune..." A light shot from her hand and relief swept through the True Wind Rune's bearer. His eyes started to close. But, he managed a single word before everything went black.  
"Why?"  
  
end flashback  
  
Luc sighed again. 'My question was never answered...I better get back to the room. Sarah must be worried sick.' Luc began to walk briskly back to the room while pondering hiw question silently in his head.  
  
Updated! There, that explains how Luc is living. See? I said it'd be explained, and it was! Percival/Lilly working on it. Dios/Yuimi still have to do research on the two...It took me forever to find the time to type this! Anyways, suggest couples and don't forget to R&R! 


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer:I don't own Suikoden.  
  
"Speaking" 'Thoughts' Flashback (POV switch)  
  
Chapter 6  
  
(Luc's POV)  
  
"Huh?!" Luc spun around in suprise. "Who's there?" He got in a battle stance, his right hand glowing. "Show yourself this instant!"  
"It's just me, brother!" Bishop Sasarai waved his hands, afraid of being hit by a spell.  
"Shame. If you hadn't shown yourself, I could have attacked you with a spell and said it was an accident. Well, there goes that plan." Luc's hand slowly lost it's glow. "What are you doing here? Have you been following me?!" Luc walked towards the bishop, his eyes full of anger and hatred. "Because if you were..."  
"No! I was looking for Nash. I can't seem to find him. Have you seen him? I'm a bit worried...Juan says that his wife got him. Why would his wife be a bad thing?"  
"I don't know. And I haven't seen him. If I do, I'll tell him that you're looking for him." Luc began to walk away. Pretty soon he was by the lake. He nearly walked into a woman. "Oh, excuse me...Sierra?!"  
"Huh? Oh, no problem Luc. Have you seen a man named Nash?" Sierra asked.  
"No...Sierra, why on Earth are you looking for him?"  
"Because I think he's been off flirting again. Stupid womanizing husband of mine! As soon as I find him, I'm going to cause him such pain and misery, that he'll be begging to be sent to the inner circles of hell!!!"  
"You're his wife?"  
"Yes, didn't he tell you about me?"  
"He tells alot of people about you, but he's never mentioned your name...well, you could always look for Borus. I'm sure he'd be more then happy to help you look for Nash if it meant causing him extreme pain and agony."  
"I'll do that. Thank you." Sierra walked off.  
'She is kinda scary when she's mad...I guess she hasn't changed a bit.' Luc shook his head. 'It's getting late...I better head back to the castle.' Luc began to walk back slowly.  
  
(Jacques POV)  
  
"...Captain...? May I take some time off?" Jacques asked in his quiet voice.  
"Of course." Geddoe replied simply.  
"Thank you." Jacques walked off to the boat. He loved the lake's beauty. He was soon on the deck of the boat. He leaned on the railing as he looked out at the water. 'I never grow tired of the view here...'  
"Jacques? Why are you always staring at the lake???" Aila questioned, walking up to him.  
"...I love the view...it's so beautiful." Jacques responed.  
"Oh....I see. Hey, Jacques?"  
"Yes?"  
"Why are you always so quiet?"  
"That's the way I am." Jacques and Aila continued to talk for the next few hours. Jacques was having fun, which is odd because he usually had more fun just by keeping quiet. It wasn't until late that night that they both realized that they had been talking for hours nonstop.  
"It's really late. Maybe we should head back in."  
"Yeah..." Jacques walked over to Aila. He gave her a kiss and walked off back towards the castle.  
  
(Caesar's POV)  
  
"Oh no...I slept way too long!" Caesar jumped up and began sprinting towards the castle. 'Albert's going to kill me! No, strike that, Albert's going to get Yuber to kill me!' He had forgotten all about Albert saying that he wanted to talk to him about something...and he wouldn't be too happy about him being late. He run through the door to Albert's room.  
"Caesar?! Knock on the door next time! Don't actually try to knock the door down!" Albert yelled.  
"Sorry I'm late, but I can explain." Caeasr had already thought of a bunch of excuses, and was having trouble picking one that Albert would actually fall for.  
"You're not late," Albert said dully.  
"You see...wait, I'm not late?" Albert shook his head. "Oh...I could have sworn I was late."  
"Yeah...I kind of figured that."  
"Hehe...sorry. Anyways, what did you want?"  
"I have a favor I need."  
"Okay, go on."  
"Sarah's worried about Luc, and he's been acting weird. I'd like you to help us try to figure out what's wrong with him. Even if you have to hire that detective, what's-his-name."  
"Kidd."  
"Yeah, him."  
"Sooooo, what do you mean by 'acting weird'? You have to be more specific then that."  
"I was gettting to that." Albert explained the situation to Caesar. ((A/N: I'm not going to type what happened every time it's mentioned.))  
"Whoa, wouldn't have expected that."  
"That's the point."  
"I know! I'll see what I can do, but no promises, okay?"  
"I was hoping you'd say that." Caesar started to leave, but stopped and turned around.  
"Hey, where's your little demon boyfriend?"  
"Right here." Yuber stated behind Caesar, who jumped.  
"Don't do that!"  
"What did you want?"  
"I just want to make sure that you understand that if you ever do anything to hurt my brother, I'll find a way to make your life, and death, a living hell."  
"You don't need to worry."  
"I'd better not." Caesar then left the room, heading off to have a talk with Kidd.  
"There's just gotta be a case...I'm so bored!" Kidd was pacing the dungeon.  
"Hey, Kidd! I got a job for you." Caesar called out.  
"Really?! What is it?"  
"I need you to spy on someone for me...they've been acting weird, and I'm trying to find out what's causing it."  
"GREAT!!! So, who is it? How have they been acting?"  
"Whoa, calm down there. Alright, it's Luc and he pretty much had an emotional breakdown. Remember...you can't tell ANYBODY. You got that?"  
"Never would've expected that...and I won't tell anyone, you can trust me to keep a secret."  
  
I guess the shape would be a square...Alright, I got some Jacques/Aila in there. Too bad it was so short. Sorry, I'll try to make it longer next time...suggest couples, R&R! 


End file.
